Copyright 2020, Newfangled Audio
P/N: 141344 Rev 1
Newfangled Audio and Pendulate are trademarks of Orthogonal Art
and Science, LLC.
AAX and Pro Tools are trademarks of Avid Technology. Names and logos
are used with permission.
Audio Units is a trademark of Apple, Inc.
VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respec-
tive owners.
Newfangled Audio
www.newfangledaudio.com
I
Contents
1 Newfangled Audio Pendulate 1
2 Preset Bar 3
2.1 Preset Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 Preset Load and Save Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.3 Compare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.4 Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.5 Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.6 SETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.7 MPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.8 RND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.9 Color Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3 Parameters and Metering 6
3.1 Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2 Patching Modulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.3 Main Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.3.1 Double Pendulum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.3.2 Wavefolder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.3.3 Low Pass Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.4 Modulators and Global Voice Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.4.1 Global Voice Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.4.2 ADSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.4.3 LFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.4.4 Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4 Installation and Instantiation 17
4.1 Installing Your Plug-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5 Conclusion 18
6 About Newfangled Audio 19
II
Chapter 1
Newfangled Audio
Pendulate
cha·os
1. (Physics) behavior so unpredictable as to appear random, owing
to great sensitivity to small changes in conditions. Pendulate is a
synthesizer built on a chaotic oscillator.
2. the formless matter supposed to have existed before the creation
of the universe.
Pendulate is a monosynth loosely based on a "West Coast" architecture
(referring to synthesizers designed by Buchla and Serge), however, it uses
a chaotic oscillator based on the physics of a double pendulum.
1
The double pendulum is chaotic in the mathematical sense: what ini-
tially looks like randomness contains underlying patterns, interconnect-
edness, constant feedback loops, repetition, self-similarity, fractals, and
self-organization. When designing the Pendulate oscillator we took great
care to bring out these underlying patterns and create an oscillator that
can smoothly fade from a sine wave to total chaos, with an expanse of
territory to explore in between.
The output of the double pendulum oscillator is run through a wave-
folder section, and followed by a low pass gate. Every parameter in all
three sections can be modulated by an envelope generator, an LFO,
and MIDI and MPE controllers.
The manual will break out each of these sections and give you some tips
about how to get most out of this unique synth.
2
Chapter 2
Preset Bar
At the very top of the Pendulate plug-in is a preset bar which allows you
to load and save preset, as well as a couple other features. These are
the preset bar sections.
2.1 Preset Selector
On the far left is a drop-down menu which allows you to select preset
from a tree structure. You shouldn’t need to access these presets on
your computer, however, if you do, on the Mac these presets are stored
in your <User>/Music/Newfangled Audio/Pendulate/Presets folder. On
Windows these presets are stored in your <Documents>/Newfangled Au-
dio/Pendulate/Presets folder.
Next to the preset drop-down menu is a left and right arrow, which allow
you to quickly scroll through presets.
2.2 Preset Load and Save Buttons
To the right of the preset selection arrows is a LOAD and SAVE button.
LOAD will allow you to load a .tide preset from anywhere on your com-
puter. Save will allow you to save a new preset to anywhere on your
computer, however, we suggest that you place it somewhere in the pre-
sets folder so you can access it from the file dropdown.
3
2.3 Compare
The COMPARE button will allow you to toggle between the current set-
tings and the last saved or loaded preset. If you have settings that you
like, save them as a preset, and as you tweak you can always return to
them using the COMPARE button.
2.4 Info
The INFO button will open this manual for you to read about the plug-
in.
2.5 Update
If there is a software update available an UPDATE button will appear in
the preset bar. Clicking it will bring you to a web page where you can
download the new installers.
2.6 SETTINGS
The SETTINGS button pops down a page which contains settings for whether
meter animations will be drawn, how they will be drawn, and parameter
locks for preset loading.
The RENDERING button allows you to toggle between two different ren-
dering engines. Most people will want to use OPENGL set to on, which
will select a rendering engine that uses your computer’s onboard GPU
to do all graphics rendering for Pendulate. However, some computers
do not have a separate GPU processor, or have a GPU that doesn’t use
the specific OpenGL features used by Pendulate. In these cases, hav-
ing OPENGL set to "on" may cause graphics errors or an extreme load
on your computers CPU. To turn OpenGL rendering off, set the OPENGL
button to "off", close the plug-in window, then open it again.
The VISUALIZATIONS button will turn on or off the animations behind each
of the DOUBLE PENDULUM, WAVEFOLDER, and LOW PASS GATE sections.
4
Alternatively the SHOW CONTROLS button will turn the UI controls on or
off. When the UI controls are off you can’t modify the settings, but you
can look at the visualizations.
The SHOW CABLES button will turn the modulations cables on all the
time, rather than dynamically showing them while you’re patching.
The PITCH BEND LOCK button allows you to lock the amount of PITCH
BEND as you scroll through presets. Many people prefer a certain PITCH
BEND amount on all presets, and many MPE controllers require this to
have the same setting as the controller.
Finally, the TIMBRE MIDI CC knob allows you to override the MIDI con-
troller message which is routed to the TIMBRE modulation output. By de-
fault this is set to MIDI CC #74, which is often set as the Y-Axis on MPE
controllers, but you can change this to be any MIDI CC and use it to
route your controller into the modulation engine.
2.7 MPE
Pendulate supports a relatively new MIDI mode called Midi Polyphonic
Expression, or MPE. If you’re using an MPE compatible controller and an
MPE compatible host, turning on the MPE button will allow you to have
polyphonic pitch bend, pressure, and timbre controls. Pendulate is al-
ready amazing with a normal midi setup, but MPE allows you to add
another level of expressiveness.
2.8 RND
Pendulate also has a random preset generator. You can engage this by
hitting the RND button.
2.9 Color Scheme
On the far right is a drop-down labeled COLOR SCHEME. This will allow
you to choose one of several different color schemes for your viewing
pleasure.
5
Chapter 3
Parameters and Metering
3.1 Controls
Pendulate has several control types, including vertical sliders, rotary knobs,
drop-down menus, and toggle and radio buttons, all of which have tool-
tips which will give you more information about their function if you hover
your mouse above them.
In general, all sliders and knobs can be double clicked to type in a spe-
cific value, option-clicked (alt-click on windows) to return them to their
default value, or command-clicked or control-clicked to enter a vernier
mode for fine tuning.
3.2 Patching Modulation
The large knobs in Pendulate allow you to patch up any of the Modula-
tion Outputs to each control. There is no limit on the number of modula-
6
tion connections that can be created. When you click on a Modulation
Output a small square knob appears below each modulatable control.
When the Modulation Output is highlighted you can patch it to a control
by clicking on the small square knob, or, turn the small square knob to
dial in just a small amount of modulation. When the small square knob is
set to top dead center, there is no modulation being applied. Turn to the
right to add the modulation signal, or turn to the left to subtract it.
Alternatively, you can patch multiple Modulation Outputs to a knob by
clicking the [+] button under a knob. Doing this will turn each Modulation
Output into a knob which will control the amount of that modulation
output routed to that control.
Clicking on an existing modulation knob will toggle it between its cur-
rent value and off. Right clicking it will totally clear the modulation route.
Moving your mouse off of a modulation route that’s set to 0 will remove
it from the UI.
If too many Modulation Outputs are routed to one knob the UI will dis-
play ellipses (...) to show that all the connections cannot be displayed,
but you can still modify these connections by clicking the [+] button.
A parameter knob that is connected to a modulator will give visual feed-
back on the amount of modulation being applied to the signal as the
orange glow becomes more saturated, the parameter is more strongly
affected.
3.3 Main Voice
The top half of Pendulate is broken into three main synth voice sections,
the DOUBLE PENDULUM, the WAVEFOLDER, and the LOW PASS GATE (LPG).
The bottom half contains the Modulation Outputs, the Modulation Page
buttons, the Effect Page buttons, the display area for the selected page,
and the Output Level section.
3.3.1 Double Pendulum
This section control the DOUBLE PENDULUM and associated oscillators.
The DOUBLE PENDULUM page is actually comprised of 4 "oscillators": a
sine wave oscillator at the keyed note - representing the first arm of the
double pendulum, a chaotic "oscillator" called a generator which inter-
acts with the sine wave oscillator - representing the second arm of the
7
double pendulum, and two sub oscillators 1 and 2 octaves below the
keyed noted.
Chaos Amount
The CHAOS AMOUNT knob blends between the keyed sinewave oscilla-
tor and the chaotic generator, you can think of it as a ratio between the
length of the first pendulum arm and the second. The chaotic generator
often has higher harmonics than the keyed oscillator, so it usually sounds
brighter - but not always.
Chaos Shape
The CHAOS SHAPE changes the shape of the chaotic generator. This is
where the magic happens, turning it up usually means less predictability
but not always. Small changes can sometimes make a big difference,
but hey, it’s a chaos generator.
Animate
The ANIMATE knob detunes the chaotic generator from the keyed oscil-
lator to add motion to the sound. It’s a very unique effect.
Interval
The INTERVAL dropdown sets the relative interval between the keyed os-
cillator and the chaotic generator. The effect of this is really only appar-
ent when the Chaos Shape is at or near 0. When Chaos Shape is much
higher than that there is a subtle effect, but it’s mostly swamped by the
chaotic system.
8
Osc Sync
The OSC SYNC button syncs the chaotic generator to the keyed oscil-
lator. This can drastically change the sound and often has the effect
of dropping the apparent sound an octave and adding gritty harmon-
ics.
Sub 1
The SUB 1 knob controls the level of the 1-octave-down sub oscillator.
Sub 2
The SUB 2 knob controls the level of the 2-octave-down sub oscillator.
3.3.2 Wavefolder
A wavefolder is a type of waveshaping that folds the wave back on it-
self several times. This creates a rich set of harmonics for the input signal
and is a type of additive synthesis originated by Buchla and common
in modular synthesis. The knobs control the shape of the wavefolding,
and therefore, the harmonics generated. Modulating the wavefolder
creates a set of moving harmonics that sound quite interesting and
pleasant. The wavefolder in Pendulate is based loosely on the one in
the Buchla 259 complex oscillator.
Drive
The DRIVE knob sets the amount of drive going into the wavefolder.
9
Folds
The FOLDS knob controls the number of folds the wavefolder is adding
to the signal. More folds produces more harmonics. You may need to
drive this wavefolder harder to see all the folds.
Mix
The MIX knob controls the mix between the dry input and the wavefolder
output.
Symmetry
The SYMMETRY knob controls the DC offset into the wavefolder, by mak-
ing the fold asymmetric it can add even harmonics to the output, in-
stead of just odd harmonics. This can sound really great when modu-
lated.
Cutoff
The CUTOFF control modulates the cutoff frequency of a gentle (6dB/octave)
low pass filter. The filter’s cutoff defaults at 1.3kHz, the cutoff point used
in the 259’s output filter.
3.3.3 Low Pass Gate
A Low Pass Gate (LPG) is a combination of a VCA and Low Pass Filter
which can create a very natural, pleasing sound. The one used in Pen-
dulate is a modified version of one based on a design by Don Buchla.
10
Key Track
KEY TRACK allows the cutoff frequency of the LPG to be set by the note
you’re playing. If KEYTRACK is 0% the cutoff frequency of the LPG is not
effected by the note value and is set by the FREQUENCY knob only. If
it’s 100% it is modified by the FREQUENCY knob, but also scales with fre-
quency so all notes will have the same timbre.
Frequency
The FREQUENCY knob loosely controls the maximum cutoff of the filter.
It’s not exact because the underlying modeled circuit doesn’t really
map to frequency well.
Resonance
The RESONANCE knob controls resonance of the LPG filter when the
POLES control is turned greater than 1. This control is not active at all
when POLES is at 1 and becomes more apparent the higher POLES is
turned.
Poles
The POLES knob morphs between a VCA style Low Pass Gate (one pole
low pass filter) and a resonant (three pole) Low Pass Filter. Modulate
it.
Attack
The ATTACK slider controls the attack time of the ADSR which drives the
LPG.
Decay
The DECAY slider controls the decay time of the ADSR which drives the
LPG.
Sustain
The SUSTAIN slider controls the sustain level of the ADSR which drives the
LPG.
11
Release
The RELEASE slider controls the release time of the ADSR which drives the
LPG.
3.4 Modulators and Global Voice Settings
Pendulate contains several modulation sources that can be applied to
the main voice.
3.4.1 Global Voice Settings
The Global Settings page allows you you to set the main parameters
for voice and pitch [TK]. The modulation outputs situated above the
GLOBAL parameter button allows you to map MIDI and MPE modula-
tion sources to different parameters.
The Global Page contains modulation sources that come from the key-
board or midi sequencer and parameters which are global to Pendu-
late.
Octave
The OCTAVE knob selects the base octave for the synth. This can be
anywhere from -2 to +2 octaves.
Stereo
The STEREO button allows you to select between STEREO and monaural
output.
12
Pitch Bend
The PITCH BEND knob controls the Pitch Bend amount. This is useful in
general. When MPE is active this must be set to the same amount as the
MPE controller to work correctly.
To prevent this setting being overwritten when a preset loads, enable
Pitch Bend Lock in the Settings menu.
Legato
The LEGATO button toggles a legato mode. When LEGATO is off, each
note press will go through the entire ADSR cycle. However, when LEGATO
is on, only staccato notes will trigger a new attack, legato notes will
not.
Portamento
The PORTAMENTO knob controls the Portamento time in mS.
Always
When ALWAYS is active, portamento will always be applied to all new
notes. When inactive, portamento will only occur for notes that have
been activated while another note is already playing. Great when com-
bined with LEGATO!
Global Modulation Outputs
These modulation outputs allow common MIDI and MPE controller sig-
nals to be mapped to parameters.
1. VEL maps the the current MIDI note’s velocity to any Modulation
Input.
2. MOD maps the MIDI Mod Wheel Output to any Modulation Input.
3. KEY maps the relative pitch from the currently pressed KEY to any
Modulation Input. This can be used for adding key following to any
parameter.
4. PRS maps the midi Pressure output to any Modulation Input. When
MPE is active this is per note.
13
5. TMB is the MPE Timbre Modulation Output, also known as MIDI CC74.
It’s often mapped to the height along the key on several common
MPE controllers. This is only available when MPE is enabled. Alterna-
tively, TMB can be mapped to output any MIDI CC on the settings
page, so you can use it to patch an expression pedal or other con-
troller into Pendulate’s modulation system.
3.4.2 ADSR
The ADSR creates three modulation signals when a note is pressed. These
are a full ADSR envelope, an AD envelope, and an ASR envelope. All
three of these envelopes can be used as modulators.
Attack
The ATTACK slider is the attack time of the envelope in mS.
Decay
The DECAY slider is the decay time of the envelope in mS.
Sustain
The SUSTAIN slider is the sustain level of the envelope.
Release
The RELEASE is the release time of the envelope in mS.
14
ADSR Outputs
1. ADSR maps the envelope’s ADSR output to a Modulation Destina-
tion.
2. ADR maps the envelope’s ADR output to a Modulation Destination.
This envelope will always return to zero when it has completed its
decay phase, so the Sustain control will not affect its operation. If
a note is released before the envelope has finished decaying, the
signal will continue to decay using the Release time.
3. ASR maps the envelope’s ASR output to a Modulation Destination.
This envelope rises according to the Attack time and remains at
the Sustain level until the note is release. The decay control does
not affect its operation.
3.4.3 LFO
There is an LFO with a sine, triangle, pulse, sawtooth, and ramp out-
put.
BEATS
Use this knob to set the LFO Rate in Beats. This knob is only available
when the the TEMPO button is on.
FREQUENCY
Use this knob to set the LFO Rate in Hz. This knob is only available when
the TEMPO button is off.
TEMPO
The TEMPO button toggles whether the BEATS or FREQUENCY knob is ac-
tive.
15
LFO Outputs
1. Sine outputs a sine wave
2. Triangle outputs a triangle wave.
3. Pulse outputs a pulse wave, also known as a square wave.
4. Saw outputs a down-going sawtooth wave.
5. Ramp outputs an upward-going ramp wave.
LFO Sync
Pendulate’s LFO is designed to synchronize with your DAW’s playhead.
To take advantage of this feature, make sure the playhead is on the first
beat of a measure and press Play—the LFO will now run in time with the
session. When Play is not engaged, the LFO will retrigger on a key press
depending on the legato setting.
3.4.4 Output
This is the final output of the effects section and the level control for the
whole instrument. This control is before the output limiter, so you can turn
it up as much as you’d like, if you’d like to overdrive the limiter. Turning
this knob down to -100dB will mute the output.
The output level meter shows the final output level of the plug-in from
-60dB to 0dB.
16
Chapter 4
Installation and
Instantiation
Newfangled Audio Pendulate is free and contains no licensing. Simply fill
out the form to get a download link to download and install the plug-in.
Once you do you can instantiate it in any supported DAW.
4.1 Installing Your Plug-In
Once you’ve launched the plug-in installer, it will take you through sev-
eral pages of options. We have tried to choose defaults for these options
which will best serve the majority of users, but it is worth a minute to make
sure you understand these options before clicking through to the next
page. A common issue with Windows VST plug-ins is choosing the cor-
rect VST directory, which can be different on each system. Please pay
special attention to this setting. Once you have followed through the in-
staller, your plug-ins and presets should be in your chosen locations, and
you can hit finish to end the installer application.
At this point, you should be ready to use your Pendulate Plug-In.
17
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